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Everlasting (Bad End)
Eins: Agape= "I'm not supposed to be here," whispered Wolfie, staring at the grandiose ballroom before him. Light filtered through every crack, illuminating the entire palace up. "There has to be a mistake." Whether it was a mistake or not, Wolfie would never know. His father and mother had been equally surprised as he had been when they received the invitation from one of the palace messengers. He remembered the look on his fathers face, one full of surprise with a hint of fear. He had made sure they weren't to be found out, but somehow his son still ended up being singled out. His mother had encouraged him to go to this once in a lifetime opportunity, but warned him to stay cautious during the entire event. She told him to be especially careful around the royalty and nobles, and to only speak when spoken to. Lilium did eventually manage to convince Lupo to let him go, and that was how he ended up here. Was coming here really worth it? thought Wolfie, beginning to regret his decision as he observed the other children in the ballroom. Most of them looked the same age as him, 12 to 13 years of age, but the way they carried themselves was that of a grown adult. They were different from the village children he played with, and just by looking at them was a clear sign that Wolfie did not belong. "Hello there, young man. I believe I've never seen you around the palace before." said a voice behind Wolfie, almost making him jump. Turning around, he was faced with none other than the the ruler of the region himself, Apollyon. The smile that was given to Wolfie was gentle, almost serene, but filled with suspicion and possible hidden threat. "No, my lord, this is my first time here." replied Wolfie, making eye contact with the King. He could see the hint of surprise flicker through the grey eyes, unused to seeing a newcomer so confident around him. "This ball is beautiful though, almost as if this is happening inside a fairytale!" Wolfie hoped that this would bring off any suspicion the King had on him, and was pleased to find that he was successful. Although still a little cautious of the boy, Apollyon had decided that he was not a threat. The King simply smiled at him once more and walked off, possibly to greet the other guests. I'll have to thank mother for that one.. thought Wolfie, internally thanking his mother for his gift of intuition and looks. Although he loved both his parents dearly, Wolfie took after his mother more in both personality and looks. He had his fathers dark brown hair, but his mothers sharp aristocratic features and amber eyes. The prince of the town was what they would call him, and he was often mistaken for an aristocrat during strolls in the village. Noticing a girl his age begin to walk up, Wolfie immediately straightened himself from the slouch he had been in, looking ready and eager to engage in some small talk. The girls silver hair and navy eyes definitely stood out against the crowd, but her sharp features still reminded everyone around her that she was indeed an aristocrat. "Hello! I thought you looked lonely so I decided to come and talk to you!" smiled the girl, navy eyes sparkling. She held out her hand for Wolfie to shake, which he took gratefully and shaked back. "I'm Arietta, one of the children who live here. What's your name?" "Wolfie," he replied, grateful that this girl had no ill intentions or suspicions about him. She was definitely more easy and pleasing to talk to than the King had been. "I came on my own, since my parents are back in town." He could see the surprise reflected in her eyes, as she expected him to be apart of some foreign or local aristocratic family. Rarely were townspeople ever invited to these balls and when they were, they would stand out immensely. It must have been the features that he shared with the rest of the people that made him fit in. "But, you look so much like one of the children here! Forgive me, I thought your parents were from another region or worked here." apologized Arietta politely, hoping that she didn't anger Wolfie. The latter could see that she was lonely as well, as her personality was not snobby and proud, which most of the children were. Wolfie wanted to reassure her, tell her that she did nothing wrong, but the appearance of another girl stopped him before he could get a word out. The new girl looked older than Wolfie and Arietta, with violet eyes and blonde hair. She resembled Arietta in a way, but her expression seemed to be etched in a haughty smile. "Arie, where have you been? Mother's been looking for you! Mother said she wanted to talk to you." scolded the girl, glaring at Arietta. The latter glared back, but didn't dare talk back to her. Are they perhaps sisters? thought Wolfie, noticing that the resemblance between Arietta and the other girl were becoming more and more similar. The girl in question turned around, and noticed Wolfie for the first time. Curtseying for her rudeness, she cleared her throat and gave a formal introduction. "I'm Cordelia, older sister of Arietta. Daughter of the Duchess and Duke here, you probably know who they are." Except Wolfie didn't know who they were. Public appearances by the two were so scarce, that most of the town didn't even know they existed. But still, it wasn't as mysterious as the legend of the locked up princess in the palace. Forcing the biggest smile he could, he introduced himself back. "Wolfie, a newcomer here. It's a pleasure to meet you Lady Cordelia." he replied smoothly, even adding a kiss on the knuckles for extra effect. He could see that she was definitely pleased, flushing madly. However, she was soon back to trying to drag Arietta away. "Wait, can Wolfie come with us?" asked Arietta, surprising the people around her. "I want him to go meet Mother, I bet she'd love him!" Meeting the Duchess? thought Wolfie, surprised the idea and just what he had gotten himself into. He basically ignored every warning his mother gave him, the golden rule that was supposed to protect him. But still, what harm could there possibly in meeting the Duchess? "It would be my honour to come with you, Lady Arietta." said Wolfie, following the two sisters to their destination. What he wasn't expecting, was for her to turn away and walk towards the King and the Queen. The two stood there, imposing over the crowd, but that did not seem to faze Arietta. Just what is she planning? thought Wolfie, unable to pinpoint a direct intention from Arietta. She was a lot harder to read than the rest of them, too many emotions and ideas at once. What a rare type of person in this chaos.. "Lady Cyra!" yelled Arietta, leaping through the crowd and right in front of the two, as though jumping in a ball gown was normal for her. Somehow, Wolfie and Cordelia were in one piece and still holding onto her. The elder sister was just about to scold her, but was stopped short when she realized that they were right in front of the King and the Queen. "Meet my friend Wolfie," introduced Arietta, pushing him in front of her for both of them to see. The Queen was every bit intimidating as her husband, gaze piercing right through him. However, he remained his ground, and looked just as piercingly back at her. "He's new around here!" He could see Cyra's eyes widen at the sight of him, but still she said nothing. Apollyon however, patted him on the shoulder and greeted him again. Wolfie could feel the gazes of the crowd on him, some were bewildered, some were scared, and even some were jealous. "I'm sorry mother," whispered Wolfie to himself, staring at the starry ceiling above him. "I failed to stay cautious and avoid the spotlight." |-| Zwei: Epiphany= "Tell us about yourself," said Cyra, speaking for the first time since their meeting. Although it was well hidden, Wolfie could sense a hint of curiosity and desperation? in her voice. "We'd love to know more about you." Don't give you father away at all costs.. echoed his mothers words, a hidden threat behind those words. Somehow, his mother knew that by giving his fathers name, he would endanger them all. I better play it safe then.. "My father is a common townsfolk, but my mother is of aristocracy. We live in a fairly nice part of town, but nowhere near as splendid as the palace." said Wolfie, careful enough to not give away any specific information about himself, or his family. He wasn't quite sure what game they were playing at, but it couldn't be a good one. Apollyon nodded and waited for him to carry on, but Cyra continued to stare at him. Finally, she stopped staring, but that didn't mean playtime was over. "Do I know your father or mother? You bare an uncanny resemblance to aristocracy, yet there is something about you that resembles someone I once knew." stated Cyra, expecting him to answer her question. The crowd grew larger and louder, but one glare from the Queen silenced and scattered them all. "I doubt it, my lady. My mother is from an old aristocratic family, one that has not been heard of for a very long time. My father is a commoner, nothing special." said Wolfie, lying directly to her. He couldn't dare risk telling her his mothers family, they were still a very highly regarded family. One bit of information could ruin his whole family, and he wasn't willing to risk that. Lady Cyra nodded, and didn't press about the situation any further. However, he could feel that her mood had gone considerably darker when she realized that he wasn't going to tell her anything. The ballroom had gone deathly silent after her silence, and not a single sound was heard. Even Arietta was a little too spooked to say anything and only held onto Wolfie tighter. The silence however, was shattered by two pairs of shoes walking. "My, my, what happened to the party here?" asked a voice, bored to death by all the silence in the room. Walking side by side down the stairs, was the Duke and Duchess. Still nobody dared to speak, the influence of the King and Queen reigning over them like a silent threat. By now, Wolfie could see the annoyance that began to grace the Duchesses features. She was obviously waiting for something to happen, but everyone was too scared. This opportunity gave Wolfie a good chance to take a proper look at Arietta and Cordelia's parents. They were every bit as graceful and aristocratic as their daughters and were quite intimidating as well, though to a lesser extent. Lupo had mentioned the couple to Wolfie once, and gave some basic information on them. Apparently he had known Arietta's mother in his youth, and grew up with her. Lupo had warned that the lady now, although the same, was not the lady that he had known those years ago. The King cleared his throat and addressed the audience, stating that they were free to go back to their dancing and activities. Only after this, had the guests begun speaking again and all life had returned to the ballroom. "Mother, you shouldn't be out of bed!" cried Arietta, embracing her mother close. Cordelia had walked in to hug her mother as well, checking to see if she was alright. "You had a nasty flu a few days ago, shouldn't you be getting more rest?" The Duchess laughed fondly at the treatment she was getting, and turned to talk to her husband. Wolfie was getting a little uncomfortable, until Arietta introduced him to her mother. "Mother, this is Wolfie! He's new around the castle and I wanted to introduce him to you." said Arietta, pushing Wolfie forward, once again. He was getting tired of being introduced and besides, it was getting rather late. "Hello there Wolfie. I'm Eliza, the mother of these two brats," said Eliza, smiling at her children as they both glared playfully at her. "That blondie over there is my husband, Elias. A little immature at times, but still tolerable." Wolfie was surprised at how carefree she spoke of her children and husband, not that it wasn't a bad thing. He was just expecting someone more stiff and upright, since the two had always remained a mystery. "How is your training going, Arietta?" asked Eliza curiously, wondering what exactly her youngest daughter had been up to this whole time. Arietta grinned and gave her a thumbs up, meaning that it was going great. What training could she possibly be doing? thought Wolfie, trying to figure out why someone as high class as her would need training. Seeing his confused look, Arietta explained that her mother allowed her to train in both swordfighting and Pokémon. "I'm currently battling with my Servine," said Arietta, motioning to the pokeball that she had as a necklace. "Everyone in high society owns at least 1 Pokémon." Outside of the aristocrat society, barely anyone in Yggdrasil owned Pokémon. The ones that were in town all day were all owned by the palace, or were owned by workers with special permits. Wolfie's family were not supposed to own any Pokémon, but they still did. The Pokémon they owned were from his father and mothers trainer days, back when anyone in Valnesse could own Pokémon. Lupo had given him his trusty Staraptor, named Starfall, and an Eevee for him to keep and train. Of course, Wolfie hid this a secret from everybody and only trained when his family visited Winchester Town. "That's amazing, does your sister own any Pokémon?" asked Wolfie, curious if the older sister battled. She didn't seem like the type, but looks can be deceiving. "Yes, Delia owns a Glaceon." explained Arietta, although he could see some annoyance in her features. "Glaceon is frightfully strong but she hardly fights in any Pokémon battles." That makes sense, thought Wolfie, figuring that Cordelia wouldn't fight as much. From what he observed, the older daughter was pretty, but in a boring and glassy sort of way. Cordelia is more likely to marry off into some rich family than pursue a career.. However, Arietta was a mystery, an enigma to Wolfie. She resembled both her mother and father, but at the same time was a completely different person. She didn't fit in with the society norm, but that didn't seem to bother her at all. "Wolfie, would you like to see something?" asked Arietta, snapping him out of his trance. Just by looking at her mischievous grin, Wolfie could see she was up to no good. He really wanted to ask her, but on the other hand, the King and Queen were burning stares into his back. "Sure, why not?" said Wolfie, finally giving into her plan after she gave him puppy eyes. She ran over to Elias to lie about where they were going, and then called Cordelia over to help. Wolfie was bewildered why she would even need Cordelia's help, but he wasn't about to question her. "Delia, would you mind distracting the King and Queen with Luciel?" asked Arietta, smiling and batting her lashes at Cordelia. Although she was glaring back, Wolfie could see Cordelia starting to blush at the word 'Luciel'. It seemed as though she had a crush on him, but didn't want Arietta to bug her about it. I wonder who Luciel is.. he thought, sneaking a glance at the blushing Cordelia. He had no idea who any of these people were, having been here for less than 2 hours. He was already getting tired of this charade and wanted to go home, but wanted to see what Arietta was planning as well. Although still angry at her sister, Cordelia did as she was told and went to go find this Luciel person. With everyone who needed to be distracted gone, Arietta motioned for Wolfie to follow her through the doors. Wolfie looked a little uncertain about this whole sneaking away, but Arietta reassured him that it was going to be fine. "Let's have a Pokémon battle!" she said, once they were outside in the open. The inner garden of the palace was just as grand, with all sorts of blossoms and lights, creating the illusion of a fairy garden. Wolfie wondered how much money they would have needed just to be able to make this a reality. "Why a Pokémon battle?" asked Wolfie, curious to her request. She didn't even know if he had any Pokémon on him, or if he knew how to battle! Unless..she managed to figure something out about him, or he had accidentally given it away, which definitely wasn't a good thing. "How do you know if I even have any Pokémon on me?" Arietta laughed and pointed to the necklace he had around his neck, which he had so carefully had hidden from the world. If a person had that necklace, it was a dead give away that they owned at least 1 Pokémon. The number of Pokémon a person had was usually indicated by the number of pokeballs on their necklace. In this case, Wolfie had 2, Eevee and Staraptor. What a sneaky girl.. thought Wolfie, noticing that the King and Queen hadn't even noticed the necklace he wore around his neck. It was a dead give for Arietta, but he hoped that she wouldn't tell anybody of this. After all, if the royal court knew, things could get quite disastrous. He'd have to battle her, in fear of the royal court knowing. "Starfall," called Wolfie, sending out his Staraptor. She had become quite bulky from her time with Lupo, and was usually his main source of battling and strength. He cherished her dearly, a reminder that a piece of his father is always with him. "We'll deal with this one quickly, alright?" "Vaporeon, come out!" called Arietta, unleashing her own Pokémon. Wolfie could see that the Vaporeon was well bred, obviously the best for the aristocrats. He would have to see how it fended for itself against his Staraptor. After all, Staraptor was a rare Pokémon to be found these days, since the King forbid almost anybody keep any Flying types in order to stop them from running away. "Starfall, Brave Bird!" shouted Wolfie, not giving Arietta an opportunity to go first. He wanted to get this over with, as soon as possible. Who knew how disastrous it would be if someone saw? An aristocrat battling with a commoner, and a commoner who owned outlawed Pokémon! Arietta's Vaporeon dodged the attack and launched its own Ice Beam back at Starfall. Starfall barely avoided it, but both trainer and Pokémon were surprised at how fast it was. From his research, Wolfie thought that Vaporeon's weren't supposed to be this fast. "Vaporeon, Hydro Pum-" "Lady Arietta, who are you talking to?" King Apollyon. He seemed to be looking for Arietta, and both of them could hear his approaching footsteps. The formally confident girl paled considerably and was turning a ghostly shade of white. Wolfie himself wondered if he should just make a run for it, or hide in one of the bushes. Then, he remembered that he had Starfall with him! When Apollyon reached Arietta, he only found the girl by herself. When he looked around however, Apollyon could make out the barely visible shape of a Staraptor. Eyes turning icy cold, he turned around to glare at the trembling Arietta, who was trying to keep her cool. "Lady Arietta, what is the meaning of this?" |-| Drei: Imperil= Arietta could barely lift her eyes to meet the King's cold ones. It was a risky plan, but at least she had managed to get Wolfie safely away. However, every great plan had its consequences. "My lord, whatever do you mean?" asked Arietta smoothly, trying her best to imitate the way her mother and father spoke. It was now or never that she put her manners to use, or else she would suffer even worse. "You know exactly what I mean, Arietta." hissed Apollyon, growing frightfully angry at her, although he didn't show it. Arietta could tell he was planning on throwing her into the dungeons, or put her on house arrest. "I'll be discussing this with your father and mother, and decide on an appropriate punishment for you." There goes my chances of meeting someone new.. thought Arietta, wanting to bite back at the King's words. It just wasn't fair at all! Why was he so afraid of his citizens running away? I don't understand why we shouldn't have some freedom in our lives, it's not as though anybody actually likes his rule.. In the midst of their glaring battle, neither had noticed that Lady Cyra had walked out to find them. Seeing her husbands angry glare and Arietta's defiant one was enough evidence for her to understand the situation. "My lord, come inside and we'll discuss this. Then we can decide on an appropriate punishment for the young lady and the boy." she said, placing a reassuring shoulder on the King. This helped calm Apollyon down a little, but there was still evident anger in his eyes. With one last glare at Arietta, the couple walked away, arm in arm. What they didn't see, was the way how Arietta broke down after they had left. Her chances of making a friend were completely ruined by his interference. I won't forgive you for this. ~ "I can't believe he's still alive! Lupo, that insolent fool, the royal guards told me that he had long disappeared!" hissed Arnold, voice getting louder by the second. Cyra only watched silently, not daring to intervene until he was done. "Who does he think he is? Hiding away and sending his son out to spy for him!" said Arnold, gritting his teeth angrily at the thought of Wolfie's appearance at the ball tonight. "That Arietta as well, so foolish and careless of her actions. Elias did a brilliant job of raising Cordelia, but he needs to fix the younger one." "Arny, I think you should look into him," said Cyra quietly, finally deciding to break into the middle of his ranting. She was analyzing the situation, trying to think of who exactly Wolfie was and why he was here. "He said he lives in town and the fairly nice part of Yggdrasil. Find some more information, and capture Lupo back to the palace." She could see that Arnold was putting her idea into thought, trying to come up with a possible plan. It was a perfect way to find if Wolfie was indeed Lupo's son, and if the trainer was really out there. As for Arietta, she would have to be placed under house arrest until she could behave herself. "I'll be sure to tell Blossom about this," said Arnold quietly, as if saying her name was a taboo to them all. But deep down, he knew how much she had cared about Lupo like a sister would. "She'll certainly be pleased about this turn of events. In the mean time, please go and inform Eliza about her daughters unfortunate punishment." Cyra nodded and got up to leave, but not before giving him a small peck on the cheek. Although grateful for her support, Arnold could still not shake off the feeling of uneasiness. He managed to face every issue and every person with no fear, but this person was different. Arnold had never been fully able to reconcile with Blossom after his coronation, nor had she forgiven him for his sins. Knocking on one of the small doors, Arnold knocked and waited for his sister to answer. The usually silent and reluctant Blossom answered quickly, which was slightly surprising to Arnold. Was she just excited to see him, or was she waiting for news? "Apollyon," said Blossom, glaring at her brother through the small door of her prison. Although tiny, it was still lavished with grandeur, fit for a princess. "What do you want?" Always so rude.. thought Arnold, trying his best to not get angry at his sister. He tried to remember the old Blossom, the one would always support him and cheer him on. It was all because of that foolish boy that Blossom was this way. This was all Lupo's fault! I'll be sure to hold a public execution for him when I find him.. "How is your day, sister?" asked Arnold, keeping his calm with Blossom. It was a ridiculous question but he couldn't help but worry for his sister's wellbeing. He guessed it was part of the remains of the sibling bond they once shared together. Arnold had never admitted to this anyone, not even Cyra, but he had hoped he could reconcile with Blossom one day. "Don't play with me, Apollyon." sneered Blossom, burning holes into her brother. Any past friendliness she had shared with her brother was gone, only replaced by a hollow and empty void. Blossom didn't have time for her brothers tricks, wanting to stay out of his way as much as possible. "You know that I'm just as good of a manipulator as you are." Arnold gritted his teeth, but didn't dare say anything back to her. Deep down, he knew that she didn't mean this. For now, they would have to keep their sibling tensions between them in order to get rid of Lupo. One day, Blossom will see the light and how wrong she was. "For your information little sister, I came to inform you that your little friend is still alive." hissed Arnold, flaring up at the thought of Lupo. How dare he send his son to infiltrate the palace and egg one of the aristocrats for information? If he ever found Lupo, the latter would be meeting a very sticky end. "It seems he's still alive and well, living in Yggdrasil." "You said you got rid of him a long time ago!" cried Blossom, mask breaking and eyes widening. At the possibility of Lupo being alive, her periwinkle eyes almost returned to life, almost. "Is Lu-" "Don't speak of his name!" sneered Arnold, threatening to suffocate Blossom. By now, the rage was blinding him, and the name could not stop tormenting him. "I'll kill you if you do." Blossom's eyes softened and she looked at him pitifully. "Is Lupo's name a wake-up call for you? Are you finally realizing how selfish, you've been? She bit those last words out mockingly, not caring if her brother actually attempted to kill her or not. He could try, but she knew that she was protected. "I'm leaving, I see that you're still not willingly to forgive me and own up." stated Arnold, starting to walk away from his sister. If she was so unwilling, so be it. He didn't care, he didn't have time to deal with her moping. "Goodbye, little sister." Walking out, he didn't bother to glance back at his sister one last time, not noticing her pull out her own necklace and pokeball.